Don Gaetz won’t be University of West Florida’s next president. On Thursday, the Northwest Florida university went a different direction, and the board of trustees passed over Gaetz in favor of UWF’s provost, Martha Saunders by a vote of 9-4.
Two other candidates -- College Board vice president Frank Ashley and University of Akron vice president William Sherman -- were also in the running, but neither earned any votes.
Gaetz was the only candidate in the running who had no higher education experience. Saunders, on the other hand, has already been a college president, serving as the chancellor of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater as well as the University of Southern Mississippi.
The Niceville Republican’s candidacy was the one most fraught with controversy.
Students and faculty members vehemently opposed his appointment to the position as head of their university, signing online petitions and writing resolutions against the Niceville Republican.
Over 200 student supporters signed an online petition outlining why they refuse to accept Gaetz as president. The students cited Gaetz’s lack of a Ph.D. and a lawsuit over Medicare fraud as two reasons to oppose his presidency.
Another blow for Gaetz’s presidency came from UWF staff members directly, who composed a resolution openly opposing Gaetz as the university’s sixth president.
“The Faculty Senate does not support Don Gaetz’s candidate for president of UWF and strongly recommends that the Presidential Search Committee and the UWF Board of Trustees select a university president from the pool of other highly qualified finalists,” they wrote.
Gaetz’s strengths rested in his legislative experience and the ability to know how universities’ budgets operate, since he chaired the Florida Senate’s budget subcommittee on education. Despite being a state lawmaker, Gaetz had business experience, founding his own business in the 1980s which he later sold for $500 million.
Gaetz had also served on the Okaloosa County School Board and eventually became superintendent of that district before becoming a Florida legislator.
During his first term in the Florida Senate, Gaetz served on the Senate Education Committee.
Some board of trustees members expressed hesitations over selecting Gaetz, since he cannot lobby for two years after leaving office per Florida law.
Other state lawmakers who have gone on to head universities, like former Sen. John Thrasher who is president at Florida State University, bypass this law by accepting lawmakers’ invitations and answering their questions.
Those in support of Saunders lauded her personal accomplishments and attributed her to fostering a positive environment in the university, which is home to 13,000 students.
Saunders’ presidency is pending following the approval of the State University System and by passing a thorough background check.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
